Two Alone
by Sara Jaye
Summary: When the unthinkable happens, Anne and Tom must come to grips with a fear they've never felt before. Written for the HC Bingo challenge.


Written for the HC Bingo challenge on LJ. Theme is Kidnapping.

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><p>Of all the things that could have happened to them during cases, the worst was being chased by masked creeps or being wrong about a suspect. Never before had any of the Chan children been kidnapped or seriously hurt on the job. It was almost like they were invincible.<p>

So of course it stood to reason that their lucky streak would come to an end sooner or later, Tom thought bitterly. This time the crook hadn't played any games, No masks, no chasing, just waiting to grab whoever walked around the corner first.

It had only been him at first. That was bad enough, but then Anne had spied the man in black walking away with Tom and had charged forward like a berseker, screaming at him to _let go of him, or else!_ So because of him, they were trapped in a tiny room with no windows and a single lamp.

"Well, at least there's a lamp," Anne offered lamely. "And the bulb's still working."

"Thank goodness for small favors," Tom grumbled. "I've done a complete perimeter check, this room is accoustically perfect and the only escape is through a window. And considering how high above ground we are, the only way out is falling to our deaths."

"Great," Anne muttered. "Boy, of all the things that could've happened on this case we just had to go and get ourselves nabbed!"

"You didn't have to," Tom said. "If you hadn't gone charging into the fray, you'd be safe right now. But no, you had to be Reckless Annie as always."

"Reckless? Gee, remind me never to try to save _your_ sorry neck again, Genius," she snapped. Tom sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Look, fighting isn't going to get us out of here," he said.

"Yeah, I know." Anne sighed. "Boy, that creep even had to take our wristbands! We can't even call for help!"

"And who knows how long it will take the others to figure out our exact location? We're literally in the middle of nowhere," Tom sighed. "It figures, though. We thought we were invincible...I suppose this is life's way of putting us in our place, isn't it." He closed his eyes, fighting against the uncomfortable sensation prickling in the back of them. "This time we really messed up, didn't we, Anne?"

"Aww, Tom..." She sighed. "Don't think like that, I'm...I'm sure the others will come and find us soon! I mean, Alan's a smart guy, Suzie has her intuition, and Pop..." She forced a smile. "They'll find us soon. Really."

"How? We can't contact them and no one would ever think to look this far out into the woods," Tom sighed. "What if this is really it for us, Anne?"

"Tom, don't talk like that!" she scolded. "They're going to find us, they've just got to!"

"And what if they _don't?_" he cried. "What if we're stuck here until we die of starvation and loneliness?"

"Tom-"

"I'm thirteen years old," he choked, "there's so much I'll never get to experience. So many books I haven't read, so much of the world I've yet to explore...I've only ever been on one date, Anne, I've never even had a true first kiss."

She turned to him, tears glistening on her cheeks.

"I'm scared too, Genius," she said quietly.

"...Anne." No, this couldn't be. His brave tomboy sister couldn't be scared. Just hearing the despair in her voice was too much and he dissolved in tears, throwing himself into her arms. She held him, albeit a bit awkwardly.

"Hey...hey, don't _you_ start getting all weepy now," she scolded, "y-you're just gonna make me cry more."

"Anne," he sobbed, burying his face against her shoulder. "Anne, Anne..."

"I'm here," she whispered, her own voice choked with tears.

"Anne." All he could manage was her name; she was soft and warm and even in her own distressed state comforting. _My sister._ Ever since they were children she'd been there for him, even when they argued or clashed he knew she loved him as much as he loved her and that as long as they were together everything would be okay. "Anne."

"It's okay." She held him closer, stroking his hair and back. "It's going to be okay. You're not alone."

And right then he knew. It _would_ be okay, even if the others took forever to find them she was there.

"I love you," she whispered. "I'll never let anything happen to you."

He smiled a little through his tears, nestling as close as he could to her.

"I know."

She was his sister, and he trusted her more than anything.


End file.
